Listen to the Phone Scam
Thieves, scams and con artists have been around since the beginning of time. Telephone based fraud really hit it’s stride in the 1980s. Internet based calling, Caller ID spoofing, and the dramatic price drop in acquiring a phone number has allowed thieves ramp up their efforts. “Call Centers” can now exist anywhere in the world, and contact people anywhere virtually free.
Some seek personal information, credit cards numbers, money or a combination. One of the most common scams currently being worked is the “Suspended Social Security Number”. If you have ever wondered where this phone scam ends, KSST has the answer.
The Call
An employee of KSST actually complied with the scammers in March in order to find out exactly what the end game was. This included driving from the station, with the call still connected, to a local bank. Walking into the bank with the call still connected and withdrawing cash. Driving to a local drug store, or as they call it a “Government Approved Store”, to purchase an “Asset Protection Wallet” (ie gift card). This is where we ended the call, or rather they hung up on us. We began asking the cashier for the special ‘Wallet’ (instead of the actual name of the gift card as instructed) and she became suspicious. She warned us that it was probably a scam, the thieves heard her say this, and they ended the call.
If we had purchased the gift cards, they would have asked for the account numbers on the cards, and the money would have been stolen.
Along the way they will tell you keep the whole affair a secret. They will test you to make sure you are in your vehicle by asking you to honk your horn. If you attempt to deviate from the instructions given, they threaten in vain to send police to your address and arrest you immediately. They also try to use names of public officials in your area such at the sheriff or police chief.
The scam works. In spite of the terrible sound quality, preposterous script, lack of valid caller ID, etc… People are losing money. Aside from throwing our phones away, the only thing we can do to prevent this fraud is educate everyone, especially those most vulnerable to this attack. If you feel it might help someone, have them listen to the call provided above, and discuss ways to prevent theft by phone.
For more information on this type of fraud click here.
Things to Know When Planting Melons, by Mario Villarino
Curcurbits include the melon subgroup (muskmelons and watermelons), and the squash subgroup (cucumbers and gourds, etc.) These crops are important in all regions. According to Texas A&M AgriLife horticulture, cucurbits can be planted in Region III (where Hopkins County is located) all the way until May 1.
The eastern region of Texas plants 31,000 acres of watermelons (the most of all regions in Texas). Known for its summer hardiness, cucurbits are a common vegetable in our county.
Melon Subgroup
Melons
Muskmelons include cantaloupes (75%), honeydews (20%) and casaba, crenshaw, and other melons (5%); Texas ranks third in U.S. with 10,000 to 20,000 acres usually produced with plastic mulch and drip irrigation. Most production is direct-seeded in February and March; 5% to 10% of acreage is transplanted for earlier market windows. Growers prefer hybrids.
Insect pests include sweet potato white flies, melon aphids, spider mites, thrips, squash bugs, cutworms, melon worm, leafminer, cucumber and flea beetle, and cabbage looper.
Weeds include pigweed, morning-glory, silver nightshade, sunflower, purslane, johnsongrass, bermudagrass, and nutsedge. Diseases include downy and powdery mildews, southern blight, Alternaria leaf spot, anthracnose, gummy stem blight, virus complex, vine decline, fruit rot, and nematodes. See crop profile or crop brief for details on pesticide use.
Watermelon
Texas ranks second in U.S. production of watermelons with 40,000 to 60,000 acres with wide range of harvest and shipment dates. Commercial production uses plastic mulch and drip irrigation. Harvests start in early May in the LRGV, in June in the WG, July in East Texas, July through August in the Rolling Plains area, late summer/fall in the Cross Timbers/DeLeon area and in September and October in the Southern High Plains.
Grower/shippers contract and manage sales into large metro areas and out-of-state shipments. Roadside market melons come from smaller acreages and part-time farmers.
Industry commodity groups are Texas/Oklahoma Watermelon Association and National Watermelon Promotion Board. Luling, Texas, a small town just south of Austin, holds the world’s largest festival dedicated to the watermelon. Insect pests include aphids, cucumber beetle, squash bug, white fly, and leaf miner.
Weeds include annual broadleaf, and annual and perennial grasses. Diseases include gummy stem blight, anthracnose, powdery and downy mildews, wilt, Cercospora leaf spot, Alternaria leaf blight, leaf mosaic, virus complex, and bacterial fruit blotch.
For more information on this or any other agricultural topic please contact the Hopkins County Extension Office at 903-885-3443 or email me at [email protected].
Providers To Pause Distribution Of Johnson & Johnson COVID-19 Vaccine; Moderna, Pfizer Vaccine To Be Administered As Scheduled
CHRISTUS Health: Anyone Receiving J&J Vaccine In Last 2 Weeks Should Monitor For Symptoms, Contact PCP Immediately If Detected
The Texas Department of State Health Services issued a statement asking all COVID-19 vaccine providers in Texas to pause all administration of the Johnson & Johnson/Janssen COVID-19 vaccine following Tuesday’s recommendation from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Food and Drug Administration.
The recommended “pause” in J&J administration follows reports of blood clots in six individuals 6-13 days after receiving the Johnson & Johnson vaccine. Currently, the “adverse events appear to be extremely rare and are being further evaluated to ensure vaccine safety,” DSHS reported April 13. People who have received the Johnson & Johnson vaccine who develop severe headache, abdominal pain, leg pain or shortness of breath within three weeks after vaccination are encouraged to contact their health care provider.
On Friday, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention told states to expect smaller weekly allocations of the J&J vaccine until a plant in Baltimore is authorized to participate in vaccine production. While none of the cases of blood clots reported have occurred in Texas, where more than 500,000 doses of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine have been administered, DSHS April 9 reported Texas would receive a reduction of approximately 350,000 doses of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine this week.
Many facilities were still scheduled to receive the J&J COVID-19 during this week’s distribution, including 1,000 doses allocated to CHRISTUS Mother Frances Hospital-Sulphur Springs. Many local pharmacies have received doses of COVID-19 vaccine, which vary by location and distribution date.
“CHRISTUS Health is fully aware that the CDC and FDA have recommended a short pause in administration of the Jannsen Johnson & Johnson vaccine out of an abundance of caution while they investigate six cases of blood clots in women between the ages of 18 and 48 who received the vaccine,” CHRISTUS Mother Frances Hospital-Sulphur Springs and Winnsboro President/Chief Executive Officer Paul Harvey cited from a system-wide release from CHRISTUS Health. “Although this side effect is believed to be extremely rare (six out of 6.8 million people in the U.S. who have received it), we fully support this cautious approach to ensuring the vaccinations we are administering to our neighbors and friends each and every day are fully safe and effective.”
CHRISTUS Health has immediately paused any administration of the Johnson & Johnson vaccine and await further guidance. If it becomes necessary, CHRISTUS does have a number of other vaccinations (Moderna and Pfizer) that can be offered to those scheduled to get a Johnson & Johnson vaccine from a CHRISTUS provider.
In Sulphur Springs, Walmart, CVS, Cody Pharmacy, Brookshire’s and Walgreens are all reported to have received doses of vaccine at different times over the 18 weeks the shots have been available. Anyone scheduled to receive the Johnson & Johnson one-dose COVID-19 vaccine should consult with their provider for any updates for vaccine rescheduling.
CHRISTUS Health recommends that “anyone who received the vaccine in the last two weeks monitor their symptoms and notify their primary care provider immediately if they develop sudden onset severe headaches, abdominal pain, leg pain, shortness of breath within 3 weeks after vaccination,” the CHRISTUS release from Harvey stated.
DSHS as of Tuesday morning, April 13, had not been notified of any change in vaccine distribution. Providers who have or receive the Johnson & Johnson vaccine are being instructed to continue storing it in the proper conditions. Providers should report all adverse events following any vaccination to the Vaccine Adverse Events Reporting System at vaers.hhs.gov.
While the J&J COVID-19 vaccine administration has been temporarily halted, the two-dose Pfizer and Moderna vaccines are still being administered as scheduled, that includes the vaccine clinics scheduled in the lobby at CHRISTUS Mother Frances Hospital-Sulphur Springs as well as those coordinated by the Local Health Authority and administered by Texas National Guard.
“We’re thankful for the opportunity to serve our communities by providing life-saving vaccinations against COVID-19 and to provide safe and effective care they need. We appreciate the cautious and thoughtful approach of the FDA and CDC in continuing to ensure these vaccinations are safe and trustworthy for all those we are privileged to serve, and we remain entirely committed to doing the same,” the CHRISTUS release from Harvey stated.
HCGS Hosts Special Zoom Program on April 15 by Texas State Genealogical Society, ‘Underutilized Research Sources’ by Pat Gordon
Although the Society is always seeking new members, you don’t have to be a member of the Hopkins County Genealogical Society to take advantage of their great educational ZOOM programs, like the one planned for 7pm Central on April 15, 2021 on ‘Underutilized Sources’ by Pat Gordon. Register in advance to access the ZOOM program by clicking HERE:
Our program will be:“Underutilized Resources,” by Pat GordonTopic Description: Genealogists are taught to search for records where their ancestors lived. However, repositories around the country may have been recipients of special collections containing information about your ancestors as they migrated and settled in other areas. By broadening your search you may uncover a wealth of information in unexpected places. In this presentation, Pat discusses often overlooked and underutilized resources such as university archives and repositories, which may house records from areas far beyond their influence. She discusses Texas Tech, University of Texas Arlington, Dolph Briscoe Center for American History, University of Texas at Commerce, and many others and shows how to research at those sites.
About the Speaker: Pat Gordon served two terms as president and one as vice president of the Fort Worth Genealogical Society. She was an original faculty member at Angelina College Genealogy Conference, where she frequently presented all-day lectures on Thursday and hour-long lectures on Friday and Saturday. She has also presented all day seminars at Odessa, Texas, and Norman, Oklahoma, as well as society lectures at Fort Worth, Mid-Cities, Grand Prairie, Plano, and Tyler, to name a few. She is a retired journalism lecturer at the University of Texas at Arlington, where she still teaches an online writing class. She is also a former newspaper reporter with The Dallas Morning News. She holds a B.A. in Journalism from University of Texas at Arlington and a M.S. in Media Studies from Texas Christian University. Pat recently published a laminated quick tip sheet on Masonic Research and is working on other topics. She can be reached at [email protected] or 817-293-3398. Pat likes going beyond the names of ancestors to discover what their lives were like during the time period they lived in. Vacations are often spent in university and public libraries, cemeteries, and courthouses where she searches for glimpses into their personal lives.
You can reach the Hopkins County Genealogical Society through the Genealogical Research Library, located inside the Public Library in Sulphur Springs at 611 North Davis Street, by phone at 903-885-8523 or online at hcgsrx.org. It is open Monday, Tuesday, Thursday and Friday from 9:30am til 5pm. When utilizing the Research Library you will be asked to wear a mask and follow CDC guidelines.
Newly Released Song by Local Writers to Debut at Reilly Springs Jamboree April 17 at The Roc
It has been 14 months since the Reilly Springs Jamboree was staged before an audience at The Roc near downtown Sulphur Springs, back in the unsuspecting days of early 2020 prior to the COVID-19 outbreak. In fact, only two shows were held during 2020 at the Jamboree’s home stage at the Reilly Springs Community Center before the shut down, musically, across the state. Now, thankfully, the Jamboree is returning starting with the April 17 show at The Roc.
The live debut of the new pop-country song ‘Bright Side’ is planned at the Jamboree by co-writer Nathan ‘West’. He and writing partner Sadie Evans penned the song a few months ago, and following the submission process, the song was released by BMI on March 26, 2021. Nathan recorded the vocals at the Brad Davis Studio in Commerce and appears in the music video. Thirteen-year-old Sulphur Springs youth Nathan Bilyeu is a BMI-licensed artist with his own publishing company. Catch him on Youtube!
Jamboree producer Enola Gay Mathews states “we’ve got a great talent lineup, and our houseband Running Creek is ready to entertain the audience and back up local singers and musicians. Jack Phillips, 15-year-old professional musician from Hopkins County, will join the band on fiddle and steel guitar and perform some of his favorite Western Swing songs. An acoustic set by the youthful duo of Cade and Scott will take place during intermission time.
Another young man headlining the Jamboree is Gary Jones Jr. whose younger years were spent in close company with the great Ray Price. His dad, Gary Jones, was lead guitar player for the Cherokee Cowboys during the final fifteen years of Ray’s career and traveled extensively with the star. You’ll especially enjoy hearing Gary and Gary Jr. perform country classics during the show.
Local Tribute artist Janet Adams is well known for her Patsy Cline performances, but on this show, Janet will portray the Queen of Country Music Loretta Lynn, performing her hits while she charms and entertains the audience.
Enola Gay, Good Morning Show host on KSST Radio, will sing and emcee, and invites everyone to come for supper as well a great stage show. A Spaghetti Bowl meal with homemade desserts will begin at 6pm, and there will be door prizes when the music begins at 7pm. Country music lovers will also have the chance to “pay it forward” by donating toward a youth music scholarship in the Bobby Flores Western Swing Music Camp this summer in NE Texas. Wearing face masks as a courtesy is optional.
2020 PJC Graduates Invited to Walk in May
In 2020, Paris Junior College held virtual graduation ceremonies for the spring and fall semesters due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Those graduates are now invited to return and walk in the in-person commencement ceremony slated for 7:00 p.m., May 7, at Noyes Stadium on the Paris campus.
While an invitation has been sent from the PJC Admissions and Student Records Office to all 2020 PJC graduates, sometimes addresses change and communications may go astray.
Those wishing to participate should email Norma Wright, Student Records and Recruiting Coordinator, at [email protected]. Once added to the list, all previous graduates will receive graduation information, including cap and gown pick up instructions and their assigned time slot.
Current PJC students planning to apply to graduate may learn more at www.parisjc.edu/graduation. The deadline to submit this information or apply to graduate is Monday, April 19.
For more information about enrollment and educational opportunities, call 903-885-1232.
Paris Junior College — located in Paris, Texas, about 100 miles northeast of Dallas — has been a part of the Lamar County community since 1924
Paris Junior College offers Associate in Arts, Associate in Science and Associate in Applied Science degrees, as well as Certificates of Proficiency in technical/workforce fields.
The college has expanded its academic curriculum through the years to encourage associate degree and university transfer candidates. Since establishing its first vocational program — jewelry and watchmaking in 1942 — the college has been aggressive in adding technical/workforce programs that will benefit students entering the workforce.
The campus of 54 tree-shaded acres includes 20 major buildings and residence halls and provides students a unique and pleasant environment for learning.
Paris Junior College also operates centers in Sulphur Springs, Texas, and in Greenville, Texas.
Vision
To be the educational provider of choice for the region.
Mission
Paris Junior College is a comprehensive community college serving the region’s educational and training needs while strengthening the economic, social and cultural life of our diverse community.
Whitworth Street Traffic Stop Results In 3 Controlled Substance Arrests
Kansas Woman Arrested On Wildcat Way On Methamphetamine Charge
A Whitworth Street traffic stop early Sunday morning resulted in three controlled substance arrest. Police also arrested a Kansas woman Saturday on an unrelated controlled substance charge, according to arrest reports.
Whitworth Street Traffic Stop
Sulphur Springs Police Officer Silas Whaley conducted a traffic stop on a Pontiac GT around 3:20 a.m. April 11, 2021, after observing a traffic violation committed with the vehicle.
Passenger Britney Marie Coffelt of Sulphur Springs reportedly had alcohol, and suspected marijuana was observed in the driver’s side floorboard, according to police reports. Consequently, the officer initiated a search of the vehicle. Approximately 0.4 gram of a crystal-like crystal-like substance that tested positive for methamphetamine using a scientific substance analyzer device was found in the console, police alleged in reports.
All three occupants, denied knowledge or possession of the substance. Whaley arrested 33-year-old Nicki Michelle Banks, 27-year-old Coffelt and 31-year-old Nicholas Anthony Reynolds, all of Sulphur Springs, at 4:05 a.m. Sunday, April 11, 2021, on a possession of less than 1 gram of a Penalty Group 1 controlled substance charge. Banks too was reported to be wanted on a theft of property valued at $750 or more but less than $2,500 charge, according to arrest reports.
Banks (who is also known by Nicki Douglas), Coffelt (who is also known by Britney Marie Wilson) and Reynolds all remained in Hopkins County jail Monday, April 12, in lieu of a $5,000 bond on the controlled substance charge. Banks’ bond on the theft charge was set at $2,000, according to jail reports.
Sunday was the second time in less than a month that Whaley has arrested Reynolds for possession of less than 1 gram of a Penalty Group 1 controlled substance charge. The officer reported finding suspected methamphetamine in a bag in Reynolds’ wallet on March 14, 2021. Reynolds was released from jail March 15 on a $5,000 bond on the charge, according to jail and arrest records.
Wildcat Way Traffic Stop
Sulphur Springs Police Officer Sean Hoffman conducted a traffic stop on a Ford Fusion on Wildcat Way at Arbala Road around 8:20 a.m. Saturday, April 10, 2021. While talking with the driver, Hoffman noted the 38-year-old woman’s hands shook excessively. She was asked to exit the car to talk with him away from her husband. When asked about the shakiness, Stephanie Ann Glenn reportedly started breathing heavily and couldn’t stand still, which she claimed was due to a medical condition, Hoffman alleged in arrest reports.
The woman initially agreed to let Hoffman search the car, then retracted and said she would have to ask her husband and quickly returned to the car and began reaching for something, Hoffman alleged in arrest reports. The police officer instructed the husband to get out, then asked the Wichita, Kansas woman to be honest about the car’s contents, noting he could see her nervousness escalating as a vehicle search was discussed.
Glenn allegedly admitted there was methamphetamine and a pipe used to smoke it in the car either in the console or under the driver’s seat. A search revealed a case with suspected methamphetamine, two glass pipes, a rag and container with meth residue in it in the console. However, the woman initially claimed someone she’d given a ride to the day before had left the contraband in the car, but when asked who it really belonged to, she claimed it as hers, Hoffman alleged in arrest reports.
Hoffman arrested Glenn just before 9 a.m. April 10 and taken to jail on a possession of 1 gram or more but less than 4 grams of a Penalty Group 1 controlled substance; the car was released to her husband. She was released from Hopkins County jail Sunday, April 11, 2021, on a $10,000 bond on the third-degree felony charge, according to arrest and jail reports.
KSSTRadio.com publishes Sulphur Springs Police Department reports and news. The Police Department is located at 125 Davis St., Sulphur Springs, Texas. Non-emergency calls can be made to (903) 885-7602.
If you have an emergency dial 9-1-1.
The Sulphur Springs Police Department continues to serve its citizens with pride in its overall mission and will strive to provide the best possible police force in the 21st century.
If you have an emergency, dial 9-1-1
The Hopkins County Sheriff’s Office is located at 298 Rosemont Sulphur Springs, TX 75482. You can reach them for non-emergency matters at (903) 438-4040.
Sulphur Springs Resident Accused Of Choking The Man He Had Dated
Police Sunday afternoon arrested a 31-year-old Sulphur Springs resident accused of choking the man with whom he had been in a dating relationship, according to arrest reports.
Sulphur Springs Police Officer Cameron Robinson responded around 12:15 p.m. April 11, 2021, to a Jonas Street address, where an assault was reported to have taken place. Police contacted two males residents, who were reported to have been involved in a dating relationship.
The 31-year-old allegedly assaulted the 28-year-old man. The younger man had apparent injuries to his head an neck, reportedly from being struck with a stick. A records check showed the older man, identified in arrest reports as Jose Ismael Cuevas, to be wanted for bond forfeiture on forgery of a financial instrument and possession of less than 1 gram of a Penalty Group 1 controlled substance in a drug-free zone charges, as well as for assault.
Cuevas also later was accused of twice choking the man he had dated during the April 11 altercation, causing the younger man’s breathing to be restricted. As a result, Cuevas was charged with family violence assault-impeding breathing or circulation, a third-degree felony.
Cuevas remained in Hopkins County jail Monday morning, April 12, 2021. His bond was set $15,000 on the felony assault charge. His new bond on the controlled substance and forgery charges was set at $10,000 each.
Sunday was the third time in the last 10 months that Cuevas has been jailed locally. He was arrested June 28, 2020, on the controlled substance charge, then released two days later on a $5,000 bond on the charge. He was arrested a second time on July 7, 2020 on a forgery warrant. He remained in jail again for two days and was released on a $5,000 bond. Prior to that, he’d been arrested on Feb. 11, 2020, on five traffic warrants, then released later that day.
Cuevas was indicted during the November 2020 grand jury session for forgery of a financial instrument.
KSSTRadio.com publishes Sulphur Springs Police Department reports and news. The Police Department is located at 125 Davis St., Sulphur Springs, Texas. Non-emergency calls can be made to (903) 885-7602.
If you have an emergency dial 9-1-1.
The Sulphur Springs Police Department continues to serve its citizens with pride in its overall mission and will strive to provide the best possible police force in the 21st century.
If you have an emergency, dial 9-1-1
The Hopkins County Sheriff’s Office is located at 298 Rosemont Sulphur Springs, TX 75482. You can reach them for non-emergency matters at (903) 438-4040.
Dinner Bell Menu For April 14, 2021
City National Bank is the Community Partner
Dinner Bell continues as a Grab and Go operation. Meals are served under the covered driveway on the Northeast corner of the First United Methodist Church campus starting at 11:00 a.m. on Wednesday.
MENU
King Ranch Chicken
Roasted Carrots
Mexican Chopped Salad
Tortillas
Sopapilla Cheesecake
WEAR MASKS. WASH HANDS OFTEN. KEEP DISTANCES from OTERS.
DINNER BELL CARES ABOUT YOUR HEALTH!!!
PLEASE PLEASE continue to WEAR MASK. Get your SHOTS when you can. STAY SAFELY from OTHERS. WASH YOUR HANDS. OFTEN. DINNER BELL CARES ABOUT YOUR HEALTH.
Dinner Bell remains a Grab and Go distribution system for meals. Meals may be secured by driving under the covered driveway on the Northeast Corner of The First United Methodist Church Campus after 11:00 a.m. on Wednesdays.
